The Adventure

This is a nine night, ten day safari that starts in Namaqualand with its beautiful flowers and ends at the export grape farms of Aussenkehr in Namibia near Noordoewer.

During the course of our travels, we will visit the famous Namaqualand flowers and travel through vast open plains, prehistoric watercourses, the mountainous Richtersveld, the Namib Desert around Lüderitz and cross the Orange River on a ferry. Over many years, the forces of nature diverted the course of the rivers, changing the face of this land and leaving it with beautiful granite koppies (hills) and incredible ravines such as the Fish River Canyon.

A 4x4 is preferred but this trip can be done in a 4x2 with high clearance and diff-lock.

Here are a few highlights:

Flowers of Namaqualand and the West Coast

Lekkersing / Kuboes / Eksteenfontein

Richtersveld National Park

Wild horses of the Namib

Kolmanskop / Lüderitz

Bogenfels / Pomona (old diamond mine & town)

Fish River Canyon view point at Hobas

Ai-Ais hot springs

Aussenkehr kloofs

Orange River

The Team

Your tour leader is an experienced nature conservationist and adventure guide. He will be in radio contact with you at all times and impart a wealth of biological, cultural and historic knowledge.

Three meals a day will be prepared by our experienced bush chef in his mobile kitchen, with fresh salads, potjiekos, braais and many other surprises appearing on the menu. The good old “koffie pot” will be on the fire from six until late.

Accommodation

We will be staying in formal, en suite accommodation for the duration of the trip. All meals will be prepared and served by our experienced catering team and enjoyed sitting around the campfire under the African sky. All lodge facilities have cash bars.

Adventure Itinerary

Day 1 Kamieskroon / McDougalls Bay

Our adventure starts in Namaqualand near the town of Kamieskroon. The Skilpad section of Namaqua National Park, 17km from Kamieskroon, is renowned for its fabulous Namaqua daisies. We drive through the park and exit a the Soebatsfontein gate. We enjoy the West Coast as we drive to McDougall's Bay via Koingnaas and Kleinzee.

At McDougall's Bay, 4km south of Port Nolloth, we stay in lovely houses that are literally a stone's throw away from the beach. We stay here for the next 2 nights.

If you wish to see more flowers, then we suggest that you arrive a few days earlier and visit Leliefontein or Concordia near Springbok.

Day 2 McDougall’s Bay:

Today we explore Alexander Bay with its interesting history, interwoven into the diamond industry, meet some local farmers, visit the renowed lichen fields near the Orange River and hope to see some lovely birds. After a relaxing day we return to McDougall's Bay looking forward to a dinner that consists of seafood, watching the sun set over the sea.

Day 3 & 4 Sendelingsdrift:

After a hearty breakfast we leave for the Richtersveld National Park. We pass through the little towns of Lekkersing and Eksteenfontein where we will meet the “Bosluisbasters”.

In Kuboes, known as the capital for the Nama’s we have the opportunity to hear their click language. This Nama-speaking tribe practice subsistence farming in the conservancies as well as the Richtersveld National Park.

We stay 2 nights at Sendelingsdrift on the Orange River. Day 4 we spend in the beautiful mountain desert Richtersveld National Park. The arid plant species are very diverse and a third of this group are endemic to the area. We drive via Akkedis Pass which boasts some mystical “half mense” Pachypodium family and quiver trees.

There will be time to relax and swim at one of the campsites on the Orange River before driving past The Toe and Helskloof Pass.

Day 5 Klein-Aus Vista:

We cross the border to Namibia by ferry over the Orange River and drive via the mining town of Ross Pinah to Aus where there was a German concentration or intern camp during WW1.

We visit the WW1 German grave yard before arriving at Klein-Aus-Vista where we overnight. This desert area is known for its sunsets and tranquillity.

Late afternoon we visit the wild Namib Desert horses at the Garub water trough 18km from the lodge. We enjoy the sunset on the plains amongst the wild horses and with luck see some springbuck and gemsbok.

Returning to the lodge just after dark to sit around the bush fire and enjoy a wholesome meal.

Day 6 & 7 Luderitz:

It is only 100km tar to Kolmanskop where a local guide takes us through this old mining ghost town.

After lunch you can relax or explore Luderitz with its lovely old architecture and delicious oysters. One of the Diaz-Crosses is a few kilometres out of town. With special permits and guide we are allowed to enter the Sperrgebiet in order to visit Pomona, another ghost town and mine south of Luderitz.

Another attraction in the Sperrgebiet is the majestic Bogenfels rock arch. This breath taking formation stands with the one leg in the sea and is approximately 57m high. This is an unknown jewel to visit.

Day 8 Canyon Roadhouse:

It is time for a warmer climate and we leave the coast behind and drive inland on the B4 to the Fish River Canyon.

At Seeheim we leave the tar for the remainder of the tour until we end at Aussenkehr.

After arriving at the unique Canyon Roadhouse lodge we relax in our rooms or next to the swimming pool and settle in slowly.

Late afternoon we enjoy sunset at another high light of the tour, the view point at Hobas. This is where the well-known horse shoe photos of the Fish River Canyon are taken. This is near the starting point of the hiking trail.

Day 9 Norotshama / Aussenkehr:

This morning we relax a few hours at the warm baths of Ai-Ais.

Again the whole day is a beautiful drive. Enroute to our lodge Norotshama on the banks of the Orange River, we drive down the Gamkab River Gorge with fabulous high cliffs.

Late afternoon we visit “John Wayne” in an unbelievable narrow gorge near the lodge. We ascend a little hill from where we have a magnificent view over the Orange River, the vineyards and Springbok vlakte in the Richtersveldt Nat. Park.

Day 10 Home:

Sadly it is time to say goodbye to everyone and head home. It is 50km by tar from Norotshama to the border at Noordoewer / Vioolsdrift.